Bearcats & Buckeyes Bowl ‘Em over
From the Lapham family, I’d like
to wish you Happy Holidays.
Here are my predictions for
Cincinnati’s bowl game and the BCS
bowls. Just be sure not to hold me
accountable afterward!

CINCINNATI vS.
SOUTHERN MISS
Congrats to the
Bearcats for posting
their biggest win total
in over 50 years.
First-year Coach Brian Kelly has
done a marvelous job, to say the least.
However, the Bearcats better be careful against Southern Miss, which will
be emotionally charged in wanting to
send resigned/fired Coach Jeff Bower
out on a winning note.
The Bearcat defense is fast and
pursues well, and that will be key in
slowing down Golden Eagle running
back Damion Fletcher. Stop Fletcher
and the ‘Cats will be in great shape.
Prediction: Cincinnati 31-21

OHIO STATE vS. LSU
Rest assured, Ohio
State won’t get blown out
in this game again.
Ohio State’s defense is
as fast as any defense in the
SEC, and that will likely surprise the
Tigers who probably shouldn’t watch
film of last year’s OSU loss to Florida.
The Tigers always find a way to
keep games close, even when they
should be blowing out the opposition.
For sure, you never know what Tiger
Coach Les Miles will do, for better or
worse.
Look for Ohio State to have success running the ball, even if LSU
tackle Glenn Dorsey is completely
healthy. This one’s coming down to a
field goal.
Prediction: Ohio State 20-17

ILLINOIS vS. USC
Illinois got a lot of
mileage out of the win
at Ohio State, but now

With Dave Lapham

they’re going to get spanked
by a vastly superior USC
team. The Trojans are playing their best ball of the
season right now.
Prediction: USC 31-14

Dave Lapham is in his 22nd
season as color analyst on the
Cincinnati Bengals Radio Network and
co-hosts Bengals Breakdown on WLWT
Channel 5 during the NFL season.
The former Bengal standout guard
(1974-83) also provides color commentary for the Big 12
National Game of the Week on Fox Sports Net.

WEST vIRGINIA
vS. OKLAHOMA
If WVU gets off to
a slow start, it’s game
over. I do think the
‘Eers will move the ball and score
points. OU will counter with a balanced offense that will also score
nearly at will. This will be a shootout.
Prediction: Oklahoma 31-30

and-shoot offense. The key for the
Dawgs will be to keep Brennan off
the field with their own ball-control
offense. They’ll succeed.
Prediction: Georgia 31-17

vIRGINIA TECH
vS. KANSAS
If you like defensedominated, low-scoring
games, then tune into
this one. The team that
makes fewer turnovers and has better
special teams play will pull this one
out. Va. Tech’s Frank Beamer wrote the
book on both.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 17-14

hey own among themselves nearly
3,000 career victories.
They have coached in every major
Division I-A conference.
They’ve won dozens of bowl games
and five national championships.
They’ve coached with, and against,
all the legends.
And now they’re sharing the expertise with the readers of This Week In
Football!
Sixteen coaches with Hall of Fame
resumes comprise the Master Coaches

John Cooper

Ohio State, Arizona State, Tulsa • 192-84-6 (24 seasons)

• With 111 victories in
13 seasons, Cooper ranks as
the second-winningest coach
in Ohio State history.
• Has coached nine
teams to conference championships (and another five
to second-place finishes),
including the 1998, 1996 and 1993 Ohio
State teams that shared Big Ten titles.
• Became the first head coach to
lead teams from both the Big Ten and the
Pac-10 to victories in the Rose Bowl (he
coached ASU to a 22-15 win over Michigan
at the end of the 1986 season).

Terry Donahue
UCLA • 151-74-8 (20 seasons)

• Of his 151 victories
(.665 winning percentage),
98 were in Pac-10 conference
games. He was the all-time
conference leader, topping
Master Coach Don James of
Washington (97) and John
McKay of USC (70).
• Won five Pac-10 Championships,
his UCLA-coached teams were ranked in
the top 10 nationally five times and he led
the Bruins to four appearances in the Rose
Bowl.

Vince Dooley

Georgia • 201-77-10 (25 seasons)

• Guided Georgia to an
undefeated season and the
national championship in
1980.
• Led the Bulldogs to 20
bowl games, including a 17-10
victory over Notre Dame in
the Sugar Bowl that clinched
Georgia’s first national title since 1942.
• Won 201 games and six SEC
championships during his 25-year tenure
(1964-88) as head coach at UGA, suffering
only one losing season during that time
frame.

Pat Dye

Auburn, Wyoming, East Carolina •
153-62-5 (19 seasons)

• Led Auburn to four
SEC titles, including three
straight from 1987-89,
during his 12-year tenure
(1981-1992) with the Tigers.
• Was a three-time SEC
Coach of the Year honoree.
• Was named National Coach of
the Year in 1983 after leading Auburn to
6

Survey (MCS), a revolutionary approach
to ranking the nation’s top teams.
The group, which includes former Ohio State Coach and This Week
In Football columnist John Cooper, was
created during the 2005 college football
season.
Former Michigan Coach Bo
Schembechler was also part of the MCS
prior to his passing in November, 2006.
“The Master Coaches Survey features
the most experienced coaches who not
only watch all the games, but they also

discuss and deliberate before they cast
their weekly votes,” says Andy Curtin,
executive director of MCS. “No other
system has these components.”
Each week during the season, the
MCS staff tapes games and gathers vital
statistics for the coaches to review. The
coaches evaluate the information and
then have a group teleconference before
casting their ballots. In that conference
call, they give their reports, and discuss,
argue, laugh and enjoy the fellowship
they were too busy and too competitive

to enjoy when they coached.
As the BCS continues to struggle
with its credibility, it may be only a matter of time before the MCS Poll becomes
a part of the BCS formula for determining which two teams should play for the
national championship.
The MCS Web site (www.mcspoll.
com) includes ample information and
commentary from the coaches as well.
The MCS also provides a subscription service for those who seek direct
access to the coaches.

Meet The Masters
an 11-1 record, including a victory over
Michigan in the Sugar Bowl.

LaVell Edwards

Brigham Young • 257-101-3 (29 seasons)

• Led BYU to a national
championship in 1984.
• His 257 overall wins
ranks sixth in Division I-A
history, and he has more victories than all other coaches in BYU history
combined.
• Won the Western Athletic
Conference title in 20 of his 29 seasons as
head coach.

Hayden Fry

iowa, north texas state, southern
Methodist
232-178-10 (37 seasons)

• Transformed Iowa
from a perennial doormat
into a three-time Big Ten
champion and 14-time bowl
participant (including three Rose Bowls).
• Compiled a 143-89-6 record in 20
years (1978-98) at Iowa.
• Won 232 career games as a Division
I head coach, including 11 years with SMU
and six years at North Texas State.

Don James

Washington, Kent State • 178-76-3 (22
seasons)

• Led Washington to a
Rose Bowl victory and the
national championship in
1991.
• Posted a 153-57-2
record in 18 seasons (1974-92) with the
Huskies.
• Career record is 178-76-3 (.698).
• Led Kent State to the Mid-American
Conference championship in 1972.

Frank Kush

Arizona State • 176-54-1 (22 seasons)

• Credited with building
Arizona State’s reputation as a
major contender in collegiate
football.
• Guided ASU to 20 winning seasons in his 22-year
tenure (1958-79).
• Had a 6-1 record in bowl games.

Dick MacPherson
Syracuse, Massachusetts • 111-73-5 (17
seasons)

• Compiled a 66-46-4
record during his 10 years at
Syracuse.
• Won National Coach

of the Year honors in 1987 after leading
the Orangemen to an 11-0-1 record, tying
Auburn in the 1988 Sugar Bowl.
•Led the Orange to a 3-1-1 record in
bowl games.

• One of only seven
coaches ever to guide three
different programs to top 20
finishes in the national polls.
• Compiled a 165-121-4
career record at Miami (Ohio),
Colorado, Northern Illinois
and Indiana.
• Finished his career as Indiana’s alltime winningest coach with 69 victories.

Don Nehlen

West Virginia • 202-128-8 (30 seasons)

• Became the 17th coach
in NCAA Division I-A history
to record 200 career victories.
• Coached more seasons
(21) and won more games
(149) than any other coach
in West Virginia University
history.
• Guided his program to 13 bowls,
17 winning seasons and the 1993 Big East
Conference title.

Tom Osborne

Nebraska • 255-49-3 (25 seasons)

• Led the Cornhuskers
to 13 conference championships and three national
championships (1994, 1995
& 1997).
• Best winning percentage (83.6%) among active
NCAA Division I-A coaches at time of
retirement and fifth best of all time.
• Inducted into College Football
Hall of Fame in 1999.

John Ralston

Stanford, Utah St., San Jose State •
97-81-4 (17 seasons)

• Compiled a record of
55-36-3 at Stanford (1963-71)
while reviving a sagging program.
• Last two Stanford
teams won Pacific 8 titles and
Rose Bowl victories.
• Posted a 31-11-1 record
at Utah State (1959-62) and led the team
to two conference championships and two
bowls.

• Led USC to a national
championship (1978), two
No. 2 finishes, three Pac-10
titles and five bowls in his
original run (1976-82) with
the program, including three
Rose Bowl victories.
• His second term
(1993-97) at USC featured three more bowl
victories, including the Rose Bowl in 1995
that improved his career record in the bowl
to 4-0.

R.C. Slocum

Texas A&M • 123-47-2 (14 seasons)

• Ranks as the winningest
coach in Texas A&M history
with 123 career wins.
• Never had a losing season in his 14-year tenure with
the Aggies.
• Won four conference
championships, including the
Big 12 title in 1998.

Gene Stallings

Alabama, Texas A&M • 89-70-1 (14 seasons)

• In seven years as head
coach at Alabama, directed the
Crimson Tide to one national
championship (1992), an SEC
championship (1996), three
straight SEC Western Division
titles (1992, 1993, 1994) and
six post-season bowl appearances.
• Guided Alabama to an undefeated
season and the school’s only 13-0 record en
route to the national title in 1992.
• Won two SEC Coach of the Year
Awards (1992, 1994), while also named the
Paul Bryant/FWAA Coach of the Year in
1992.

George Welsh

Virginia, Navy • 189-132-4 (28 seasons)

• Became the alltime winningest coach in
University of Virginia and
Atlantic Coast Conference
history.
• Is the all-time winningest coach at Navy, his
alma mater.
• Guided Virginia to 15 winning seasons in 19 years.

Now Listen Up!
Another split Championship Confirms BCs is A failure
The craziest season in college
football history is rambling toward
a bizarre ending that could provide
the push the sport needs to initiate
serious playoff discussions.
Ohio State plays LSU in the
BCS National Championship, but
it’s possible the polls will produce
co-national champions. The coaches
poll is forced to accept the BCS
champion as its No. 1 team, but the
Associated Press is not.
The BCS arrangement already
has produced one split championship, between USC and LSU after
the 2003 season, and if it produces
another next month the NCAA will
have to consider the system a failure.
Whether college presidents are
willing to buck the TV-run $y$tem
and demand a playoff is to be determined, but a second shared championship in five years could generate
enough buzz to roust them from
their elitist academic slumber.

Frankly, whether it leads to a
playoff or not, this wild season
deserves nothing less than a split
champion. Best of all, until the bowl
games are played, there’s no telling
which teams are the most likely to
split the title.
First, you’ve got LSU and Ohio
State. Both have been impressive

...if the BCS produces another
split championship next month
the NCAA will have to consider
the system a failure.
enough to get into the title game—
LSU by winning the gnarly SEC, Ohio
State by beating the crap out of most
teams on its schedule—yet both
have been unimpressive enough to
generate widespread doubts.
LSU has lost twice, to teams that
combined for nine losses (Arkansas
and Kentucky), and no two-loss
team has ever won the national
title. Ohio State, meanwhile, played

With Gregg Doyel
Gregg Doyel talks sports six days

a weak non-conference a week on 1530 HOMER and 700
schedule and won a Big WLW in Cincinnati, and writes about
Ten schedule loaded with sports daily for CBS Sports.com. He
quality teams but no one has written two books on topics that
are immaterial to the focus of this
resembling greatness.
If the BCS title game is fine magazine.
close or uninspiring, that
the season were the front-runners
would open the door for AP voters to play for the national title. That
to pick another bowl winner as their would be impressive.
champion. But which other bowl
And then there’s Hawaii, which
winner?
has played a weak schedule and
There are at least two choices, hasn’t merited serious No. 1 considand possibly four. Georgia has been eration. But what if Hawaii throttles
the country’s hottest team of late, Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl?
and if the Bulldogs annihilate unde- Hawaii would deserve at least a
feated Hawaii in the Allstate Sugar look.
Bowl, they would receive No. 1 conAnd don’t forget about USC,
sideration.
considered for much of the season
The same goes for Oklahoma if to be the best team in the country.
the Sooners, who dismantled No. The Trojans struggled when quarter1 Missouri in the Big 12 title game, back John David Booty was injured,
destroy former No. 2 West Virginia but they’re rolling again with him
in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Think back. What if the Trojans destroy
about that: The Sooners have the Illinois—which beat Ohio State—in
chance to beat both teams which the Rose Bowl?
heading into the last weekend of
The possibilities are fascinating.

With Mo Egger
Mo Egger is heard weekdays, 9 a.m.-Noon
on AM 1530Homer, The Sports Animal.
He’s worked on UC football and basketball
broadcasts on AM 700WLW since 2001.

CINCINNATI
OFFENSE vS.
SOUTHERN MISS
DEFENSE

slow down UC wideouts
Since the UC Bearcats
Dominick Goodman and
closed out the regular seaMarcus Barnett, both of whom were huge for the
When: December 22, 2007
son with a win at Syracuse,
The Bearcats face a stiff
Bearcats late in the season.
Where: legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.
the talk among fans has been
challenge,
Southern Miss, while
Kickoff: 1:00pm EDt
about the future of Coach
as Southern
stout
defensively
for
Series: tied 7-7
Brian Kelly and the fact the
Miss takes
Conference USA standards,
Last meeting: Cincinnati won 52-24 in
team was passed over by the
Conference
just doesn’t have the ability
2004
Sun and Meineke Car Care
USA’s top
to slow down the Bearcats
bowls.
defense to
for an entire game. But conFew have concentrated on
Birmingham.
taining Goodman
the match-up facing Cincinnati in the game they
This unit is led by the
and Barnett will
are actually appearing in, the Papajohns.com league’s defensive player of the
force UC quarterBowl. However, to emphasize their argument year, junior linebacker Gerald
back Ben Mauk
that their team was slighted by the other bowls, McGrath, who excels against
to use more of
UC fans must hope for a convincing win against the run and pass. Cincinnati
the playbook.
Southern Mississippi, which would also keep the will also have to contend with
A
major
program’s momentum going into the offseason. senior cornerback Brandon
advantage for Cincinnati is
UC is going after a school-record 10th win, Sumrall, an NFL prospect who
Mauk’s ability to improvise,
while Southern Miss looks to send Coach Jeff has five interceptions this seaespecially when in trouble.
Bower out a winner. Bower resigned at the end son.
The Golden Eagles don’t
of the regular season, having just completed his
For the Golden Eagles
bring heat very often, but
17th year in charge of the Golden Eagles.
to pull off the upset, they’re
when they do Mauk should
going to have to Bearcat quarterback Ben Mauk
Photos courtesy of University of Cincinnati Sports Communications
be able to do enough to find

Cincinnati is a double-digit favorite,
and rightfully so. Southern Miss is good
defensively, but Cincinnati has too diverse
an offense to be slowed down by the Golden
Eagles.

SOUTHERN MISS OFFENSE vs.
CINCINNATI DEFENSE

If Cincinnati can get the lead early,
it should be able to take advantage of
a very one-dimensional Golden Eagles
offense.
Quarterback Jeremy Young is average, at best. Bower doesn’t ask him to
throw often, as evidenced by his paltry 149 yards per game passing average. Bearcat
defensive backs should add to their 23 interceptions.
Southern Miss relies on the running game.
Sophomore Damion Fletcher is the real deal.
He has rushed for 15 touchdowns and has gone
over 100 yards eight times, including 211 against
UTEP.
The Golden Eagles also like to throw to him
out of the backfield. He’s a weapon, but the ineffectiveness of the passing game coupled with the
inevitability of UC scoring on offense will limit
Fletcher’s effectiveness.
Advantage: Cincinnati

SPECIAL TEAMS

Two of the nation’s best punters
are featured. UC’s Kevin Huber was
receivers and get yardage with his legs.
named the Big East Special Teams
If UC’s line can avoid penalties, the Cats Player of the Year and is a true gameshould be able to run effectively with Greg

Bearcat coach Brian Kelly

Cincinnati 28,
Southern Miss 17

changer.
Southern Miss’ Britt Barefoot is also very
good, ranking second in his conference.
Both teams have shaky place-kickers. Brandon
Yingling has replaced Jake Rogers for Cincinnati,
but he still has not attempted a field goal.
Southern Miss freshman Justin Estes has
missed seven field goals in 22 attempts.
Advantage: Cincinnati

INTANGIBLES

Both teams should be motivated. Despite not publicly saying much
about it, Kelly feels his team was
snubbed in the bowl selection process,
and he wants a big performance from
his team to prove as much.
Southern Miss players certainly
want to send their coach out with a victory.
Advantage: Cincinnati

With Ken Halloy
Ken Halloy is the publisher of This
Week In Football, with editions in the
Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati
markets. He is also co-host of This
Week in Football radio show, which airs
every Sunday during football season
from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. on 610 WTVN in
Columbus.

it’s time for Redemption. . . Game on!
It’s time.
Rouge, but he’s still a wacko. Indeed, the best
It’s Ohio State vs. LSU.
thing Ohio State has going for it in this game is
It’s Ohio State vs. SEC.
that Miles is patrolling the other sideline.
Hell, it’s even Ohio State vs. Michigan.
The worst thing Ohio State has going for it
It’s Big Ten vs. SEC.
is that Miles won’t be on Michigan’s sideline for
It’s North vs. South.
years to come.
It’s Good vs. Evil.
It’s a shame, really, because
It’s More vs. Les.
Miles would be the ideal
Ohio State had this
More than anything, though, year’s title game won five Wolverine coach to despise.
it’s time for REDEMPTION.
Shame on you Kirk Herbstreit.
minutes after losing last Because of your carelessness,
Make no mistake: Ohio State
will beat LSU in the Allstate BCS year’s. The only question you cost Buckeye Nation guarNational Championship. To be
was whether the Bucks anteed years of domination in
determined is whether it will be
Game.
would get back to the big The But
a close to the Tressel-vest outI digress. Back to Miles.
game for this chance at He’s smug, arrogant, mouthy
come or a smack-down similar
to the one we witnessed the last
and vastly overrated. He’s the
redemption.
time these two coaches went
antithesis of Tressel.
head-to-head.
Mark my word; in five years Miles will be fired.
You remember the 2004 MasterCard Alamo Fact is, the Tigers are in the national title game in
Bowl when Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes throttled Les spite of their coach. For all the talent they have,
Miles’ Oklahoma State Cowboys 33-7. The Pokes the Tigers had too many close calls. You know it’s
weren’t even remotely competitive.
true, and his ‘ready, fire, aim’ approach is about to
Shortly after, Miles took off for LSU, and here catch up with him.
we are again.
If Miles calls for a fake field goal or goes for it
Sure, Miles has a lot more talent in Baton on fourth down multiple times against Ohio State,

he’ll pay dearly.
Ohio State had this year’s
title game won five minutes
after losing last year’s. The only question was
whether the Bucks would get back to the big game
for this chance at redemption.
Well they have, and if quarterback Todd
Boeckman comes out of his funk, the Buckeyes
will win handily. If he struggles, they’ll escape by
a field goal.
Either way, it’s all good. But wouldn’t it be
great to apply an a—kickin’ to the almighty kings
of the SEC? Think about it. This is both the game
we’ve dreamed of and dreaded at the same time.
And now it’s almost here. Are you ready?
Excited? Nauseous? All the above? Good. You
should be.
But relax and know this: Ohio State is a fivepoint underdog. Of the past nine BCS national
title games, six underdogs have won outright facing larger point spreads.
What’s it mean? Perhaps nothing.
Or everything. Go Bucks!

The Year’s Bests, Worsts & Other Stuff!
It’s been another great season of college footDisappointing Team of The Year II:
ball, especially if you’re an Ohio State fan. As we Louisville
head into the bowl season, this is a good time to
Comeback Team Of The Year: Georgia
offer the bests, worsts, surprises and such of the
Upset of the Year: Appalachian State over
year.
Michigan
And on behalf of the John Cooper family, I
Upset of the Year II: Stanford over USC
hope you have a wonderful
Upset of the Year III:
holiday season.
Pitt over West Virginia
And Go Bucks!
Best Non-BCS Bowl
Coop’s Top Five
Match-Up:
Texas vs. Arizona
Current
Initial Ranking
How Ohio State Wins
State, Pacific Life Holiday
1. Ohio State 1. USC
The National Title:
Bowl
2. LSU
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
3. Florida
Ohio State must get the
Team Not In BCS
4. Georgia
4. Oklahoma
lead early to take the crowd
Bowl That Should Be:
5. USC
5. Michigan
out of the game because it’s a
Missouri
home game for LSU. If OSU
Team In BCS Bowl
stops LSU’s running game,
That Should Not Be:
the Bucks win.
Kansas
How LSU Wins The National Title:
Did the BCS Work: Yes (but I still don’t like
LSU must avoid turnovers and taking big the BCS)
risks, especially on fourth down, like it has much
More/Fewer Bowls: Fewer (6-6 records
of the season. The Tiger defense must shut down should not earn bowl bids)
Buckeye running back Beanie Wells.
Big Ten Program On Rise: Illinois
Coach of The Year: Gary Pinkel, Missouri
Big Ten Program On Decline: Minnesota
Coach of The Year Runner-Up:
Best Conference: SEC
Ron Zook, Illinois
Worst Conference: Big East
Surprise Team Of The Year: Missouri
Overrated Conference: Pac-10
Disappointing Team Of The Year:
Underrated Conference: Big Ten
California
Overrated Team: Kansas

John Cooper is a member of the
Master Coaches Survey and a
consultant to the NFL’s Cincinnati
Bengals. The former Ohio State head
football coach (1988-2000) led the
Buckeyes to three Big Ten titles
and a 1997 Rose Bowl victory over
Arizona State.

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: Ohio State
LSU has the edge in talent but
Ohio State has the upper hand
in coaching. The Buckeyes
will be motivated to make
up for last year’s national
championship loss. The
Buckeyes will win in a close,
low-scoring game.

TERRY DONAHUE

The Master Consensus:
USC

LAVELL EDWARDS

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: West virginia
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
LSU will win because Ohio
State has problems with the
kind of spread offense LSU
runs. It helps the Tigers to play
so close to home, but it should
be a very good and tightlycontested ballgame.

DON JAMES

The Master Consensus:
virginia Tech

BILL MALLORY

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
Ohio State will be more
mentally prepared this year
and LSU will finally be
healthy. Both teams are wellcoached, play great defense
and are balanced on offense,
but LSU has a bit more overall
speed and talent.

The Master Consensus:
Georgia

JOHN ROBINSON

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship:
Ohio State
Ohio State sure laid an
egg and played poorly in
every way possible last year.
Because of that, the Big Ten’s
reputation has come under
fire. OSU will be out to atone
and I feel that will give them
the edge.

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
LSU has had time to heal
from some major injuries,
such as defensive tackle Glenn
Dorsey’s knee troubles, and the
Tigers are now really focused,
knowing that their coach,
Les Miles, is staying in Baton
Rouge.

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
It’s not a coincidence that the
nation’s top two defensive
teams are playing for the
national championship. Ohio
State looked very good against
Michigan, but OSU’s sevenweek layoff is an advantage for
LSU in what’ll be a very close
game.

DON NEHLEN

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: West virginia
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: Ohio State
This year the roles are
reversed. Everyone’s telling
Ohio State they can’t win a
year after telling them they
can’t lose. LSU rolls the dice
too much, and testing their
luck against Ohio State will
cost them.

R.C. SLOCUM

VINCE DOOLEY

FRANK KUSH

TOM OSBORNE

GENE STALLINGS

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
LSU is due to play a complete
game given that its last was
a win over Virginia Tech in
September. This should be a
good, hard-knocking defensive
game that LSU will win
because they’re better overall.
It will be a classic.

PAT DYE

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
Ohio State has the
pyschological edge in wanting
to atone for last year. LSU is a
very undisciplined team, but
has enough talent to overcome
most mistakes.

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: Kansas
BCS National
Championship: LSU
LSU has more talent but both
defenses are great. I see a lowscoring, defensive masterpiece
in the works, with LSU
winning 20-14.

DICK MACPHERSON

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: Ohio State
I’m from the old school of
thought which tells me defense
wins championships and
special teams wins the close
ones. Ohio State is very wellcoached in both areas and the
Buckeyes will beat a powerful
LSU team.

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
This will be a great game;
a classic defensive struggle.
It can really go either way,
but I’ll give the edge to LSU
simply because it’s essentially
a home game for them.

JOHN RALSTON

Rose: USC
Sugar: Hawaii
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: Kansas
BCS National
Championship: LSU
It’s really tough to pick a
winner because both teams
are so similar. Both play great
defense and are balanced
offensively. I give LSU a slight
edge in overall talent, though,
and I see the Tigers winning a
close one.

Rose: USC
Sugar: Hawaii
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
Ohio State is a very sound and
well-coached football team
while LSU is a juggernaut of
talent. LSU is also battle-tested
as the champions of the rough
and tumble SEC, so I see the
Tigers winning.
Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
LSU has more team speed and
I feel they’re also a tougher
group than the Buckeyes. We
all witnessed what Florida
did to Ohio State last year, so
that’s reason enough for me
to pick the Tigers.

GEORGE WELSH

Rose: USC
Sugar: Georgia
Fiesta: Oklahoma
Orange: virginia Tech
BCS National
Championship: LSU
You have to admire what
Ohio State has done this
year, regardless of what some
people think of their schedule.
They’ll certainly play their
best against an incredibly
talented LSU team. However,
talent will win out over
determination.

13

PRESENTS BUCKEYE GAME DAY
O-8.
Championship there in 2003.
You know what it means. You’ve heard and read about
It’s especially noteworthy that LSU’s campus in Baton
it ad nauseam.
Rouge is a mere hour drive away. That would be like Ohio
Over the past three decades, Ohio State has taken a beatState getting a chance to win the national title in Zanesville.
ing from the Southeastern Conference in bowl games.
Could you imagine the craziness in the Buckeye state?
It all began when two coaching legends, Bear and
Well, that’s what New Orleans is gonna be like. Though
Woody, met in the 1978 Sugar Bowl. Alabama 35, Ohio State
Buckeye fans are known to travel en masse to big games,
6. Ouch.
word is that the Tiger faithful are hoarding the scalpers’
Allstate BCS
An unlucky seven more defeats followed, culminated by
ticket supply. Expect three-fourths of the dome’s crowd of
National Championship
last year’s 41-14 nightmare against Florida in the national
70,000-plus to be clad in purple and gold.
When: January 7, 2008
title game.
That’s actually not a bad thing for Ohio State, considTime: 8:00 p.m. EDt
And now, here we are again. The Buckeyes return to the
ering
the Buckeyes faced ravenous crowds at Washington,
Where: new orleans
scene of that Bear mauling, the Louisiana Superdome, to
Purdue, Penn State and Michigan this season. Fact is, OSU
TV: Fox
face who many have
was a more focused team on the road, perhaps realizing their
Series: ohio state leads 1-0-1
believed all season to
margin for error was slim in the pursuit of victory.
Last Meeting: ohio state won,
be the nation’s best
Most believe OSU’s margin for error against the Tigers is
36-33, in ohio stadium in 1988.
and most talented
zero. We disagree. Read on.
Line: lsu –5
team, the Louisiana
State
University
Tigers.
OHIO STATE OFFENSE
Sure, Ohio State is ranked No. 1 in
vS. LSU DEFENSE
the BCS standings, but only by default.
If quarterback Todd Boeckman emerges from his late-season swoon,
Ohio State has one less loss than LSU,
the Buckeyes might post a big number against what’s proven to be an overbut only because the Buckeyes played
rated Tiger defense headed by former Buckeye player and newly-appointed
a Sisters of the Poor-type schedule,
Nebraska Coach Bo Pellini.
many assert. The Tigers, meanwhile,
The Tiger run defense, led by All-American tackle Glenn Dorsey, has been
have taken down five top 25 teams.
brilliant at times, but quite pedestrian at others. Consider: SEC doormat Ole
The SEC champions are no
Miss rushed for more than 200 yards against this unit.
stranger to the Superdome, having
The reason Boeckman’s play is pivotal is because the Tigers are going to
beaten Tulane there earlier this seaAll-American tackle Glenn Dorsey leads the
stack the box to stop running back Beanie Wells, and they’ll succeed unless
son. LSU also won the BCS National
Tiger defense.
Ohio State opens the playbook early and throws downfield.

BCs national Championship: ohio state vs. Lsu
S h o u l d
Boeckman
struggle again,
it’s going to be
a long day for
the
Buckeye
offense. But if
he can get some
confidence
early and keep
the Tiger front
seven honest,
look out.
This is not a
game in which
Tressel needs
Because of his mobility, back-up quartertrickeration.
back Ryan Perrilloux may see extensive
The Buckeyes
action.
can go smashmouth against
Dorsey and Co. The Tigers do not have the speed
on the edges like Florida had last year.
But again, OSU must prove it can spread the
field a bit with some safe, possession-type passes.
Red alert: The Tigers have intercepted 21 passes,
led by safety Craig Steltz’ six picks.
Also of note, Dorsey has been hobbled with a
bad knee for much of the season. When he’s on,
he’s unstoppable. But when sidelined, the Tigers
lose their physical and emotional leader.
ADVANTAGE: Ohio State

LSU OFFENSE vS.
OHIO STATE DEFENSE

Look for LSU back-up quarterback Ryan
Perrilloux to play a lot in this game. Actually, he’s
hardly a back-up. He led his team to the SEC title
win over Tennessee, as starter Matt Flynn sat out
with an injury.
Flynn will be ready for OSU, but Perrilloux may
be the better choice because he is more mobile.
Flynn moves fairly well also, but Perrilloux is a bigger playmaker with his legs more than his arm.
These two will sometimes alternate snaps
within the same possession. Sound familiar?
Flynn is solid but not great.
The Tigers have an excellent receiving trio in
Early Doucet (50 receptions, 474 yards, four TDs),
Brandon LaFell (48, 641, three) and Demetrius
Byrd (33, 593, seven).
You’ll hate to love as much as love to hate running back Jacob Hester. He runs like a bulldozer
going downhill in a fifth gear. He’s rushed for
over 1,000 yards, averaging five yards a carry, and
scored 11 touchdowns.
After getting blitzed by the Gators nearly a
year ago to the day, the Buckeye defense knows
this is a defining moment. Reality is that the Bucks
have not faced an offense nearly as balanced and
skilled as the Tigers’.
Are you listening Vernon Gholston, James
Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins?
ADVANTAGE: Even

IGS features fixed & variable rate natural gas plans that
will help you score points all season long.

Whatever OSU punter A.J. Trapasso was doing
at Michigan, we want it to stop. Being indoors
should be a great assist, and in what could be a
game dictated by field position, Trapasso needs to
have a leg up on the competition.
And again, with weather no factor, Ryan
Pretorius ought to be given the green light to try
any field goal up to 55 yards.
Colt David has made 25 of 32 field goals for
the Tigers, but six misses have been less than 49
yards. Patrick Fisher averages a solid 43.9 yards
per punt.
ADVANTAGE: Ohio State

COACHING

Which would you take: More or Les?
ADVANTAGE: Ohio State

INTANGIBLES

It’s a home game for the Tigers, while OSU
is trying to exorcise the demons from a year ago.
Correction: from the last 30 years.
ADVANTAGE: Even

THE WAY WE SEE IT

Can’t say it enough: If Boeckman plays well,
Ohio State may win by two touchdowns. If he
doesn’t, we’ll all be biting our nails in the fourth
quarter, and possibly into overtime.

Let’s be honest: Illinois has no business being in this game. As
much as we appreciate the bowl’s desire to preserve the Big Ten-Pac-10
tradition in “The Granddaddy of Them All,” this makes no sense. The
Illini had a wonderful season, capped by an upset win at top-ranked
Ohio State, but they also lost at lowly Iowa. Sure, we haven’t forgotten
USC’s loss to crappy Stanford, but at least the Trojans won their conference. Besides, have you seen the way USC has shaken its Booty lately
(and we’re not referring to those luscious white-sweater-clad cheerleaders)? Illinois simply won’t have enough Juice to keep it close.

Georgia was hoping to make it to New Orleans, but this isn’t
what the Bulldogs had in mind. Snubbed at a chance to play for
the national title in the Big Easy, the Dawgs are instead relegated
to face a non-BCS team, albeit the nation’s only unbeaten, there a
week earlier. The Bulldog offense will pound at the Warrior defense
in an attempt to sustain time-consuming drives that in turn will
keep Heisman finalist Colt Brennan and his run-and-shooters on
the sideline. If Hawaii is held to two or three possessions per half,
Georgia wins. If not, it’s Boise State-Oklahoma all over again.

Master Insight
“Illinois’ offense has been impressive, but
USC is healthy now and out to prove it’s the
best team in the nation.” — John Robinson

Of USC’s 29 bowl wins,
22 have been in the Rose
Bowl. This marks USC’s
sixth straight BCS bowl
appearance, including a
third consecutive Rose
Bowl. A win would also
give the Trojans their sixth
straight Associated Press top
four finish.

Quarterback Colt Brennan has
thrown for 4,174 yards and 38
touchdowns this year. Earlier this
season he became the NCAA alltime leader in TD passes and currently has 131 in his three seasons
on the islands.

must know info

Hawaii is playing in just
its second bowl ever on the
mainland. Warrior fans will
travel 4,000 miles to see
if their team can maintain
the nation’s longest winning streak, which currently
stands at 13.

Man, it’s a good thing the Orange Bowl gets to host next season’s
national championship because it’s been getting some stinker matchups lately. Last year we snoozed through Louisville-Wake Forest. Now
we get. . . Kansas? Even Ohio State is laughing at the Jayhawks’ schedule. Believe it or not, though, this is a battle of top 10 teams, with
the nation’s second-ranked scoring defense (Hokies allow 15.5 points
per game) going against the nation’s second-ranked scoring offense
(Jayhawks score 44.3 points per outing). Frank Beamer’s ‘D’ and special
teams will dominate.

Big East co-champion WVU faces its toughest opponent. No,
not Big 12 kingpin Oklahoma. Rather, the ‘Eers are battling the space
between their own ears. Will there be a hangover from the devastating
loss to Pitt or will WVU respond on a mission of atonement? Oklahoma
returns to the desert scene of the crime where it lost to Boise State
last year, so you know the Sooners will be in a surly mood. But if they
thought the Bronco offense was dynamic, wait until they see WVU quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton. We’re guessing the
duo will be at its best in this one.
WEST VIRGINIA (10-2)
S-1 Western Michigan... 62-24
S-8 @Marshall............... 48-23
S-13 @Maryland.............. 31-14
S-22 East Carolina............. 48-7
S-28 @South Florida....... 13-21
O-6 @Syracuse.............. 55-14
O-20 Mississippi State..... 38-13
O-27 @Rutgers.................. 31-3
N-8 Louisville................. 38-31
N-17 @Cincinnati............. 28-23
N-24 Connecticut............. 66-21
D-1 Pittsburgh................. 9-13

Virginia Tech vs. Kansas

West Virginia is making its
first trip to the Fiesta Bowl
since playing Notre Dame
for the national championship in 1989, and is in its
second BCS bowl in three
years. WVU has also posted
three consecutive seasons
of double-digit wins for the
first time in school history.

First team All-American linebacker
Xavier Adibi leads Virginia Tech with
99 tackles, including 11 for losses.

must know info
Frank Beamer, whose
Va. Tech team won the
ACC title for the second
time in three years,
is the nation’s thirdwinningest active coach
with 209 victories. Tech
is one of only two teams
(USC) to win at least
10 games in each of the
past four seasons.

Paul Johnson has jumped ship and Navy may never be the
same. In six seasons, the master of the triple option spread offense
took the Middies’ program to new heights. He posted an 11-1 record
against Army and Air Force and won the Commander-In-Chief’s
Trophy five consecutive seasons. He also ended the program’s NCAArecord 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame this year. But Johnson
is taking over at Georgia Tech and won’t even be around to coach
against a hot Utah team that has won seven of its last eight games
and ranks second nationally in scoring defense (15.5 avg.).

Howard Schnellenberger has done it again. The man is unbelievable. After building Miami (FL) and Louisville into national
powers, Howie has worked his magic a third time, at little ole
Florida Atlantic. But this time he did it from scratch. That’s right,
Schnellenberger literally launched the Owl program in 2001, and
six years later it has become the fastest start-up program to earn
a bowl berth. The Tigers are on a mission, though, having won five
of six games since the tragic shooting death of one of its players.
Thus, we’re emotionally torn on this one. Coin flip.

Utah’s Louis Sakoda is the nation’s
only dual starting punter/placekicker to rank in the top five
nationally in punting and kicking.
He averages 44.8 yards per punt and
has made 19 of 22 field goals.

must know info

Master Insight
“With its coach gone, Navy has lost 25
percent of its team for this game. Utah has
played very well and will roll in this one.”
— Dick MacPherson

Navy and Utah are making
their 14th and 13th bowl
appearances, respectively,
and both are in the postseason a school-record fifth
consecutive season. The Utes
have the nation’s secondlongest bowl win streak
(six), dating back to 1999.

Sophomore wide receiver Duke
Calhoun leads Memphis with 58
receptions for 850 yards and five
TDs. He’s had four 100-yard receiving games this season, and has
caught a pass in 23 straight games.

must know info

OK, maybe this isn’t ‘must-know’
stuff but it shows how deep
sports info departments will
dig to impress: Memphis is just
one of seven schools nationally
which will have participated in a
football bowl, NCAA basketball
tournament and NCAA baseball
tourney in the 2007 calendar year.

Talk about a southern miss at Southern Miss. For sure, the administration missed the boat big-time when it pushed Coach Jeff Bower
out the door after 17 years. Bower led the program to 14 winning
seasons and 10 bowls. Someone needs to remind the Golden Eagle
braintrust this is Southern Miss, not Michigan. Then again, no one
wants the Michigan job, either. Well, we hope UC’s Brian Kelly doesn’t.
We’re worried he will, though, because he can’t be thrilled with playing in dreary Birmingham after leading his team to nine wins. After
all, just eight wins at Michigan gets you a trip to Disneyworld.

If you can’t earn a bowl bid, start one of your own. That’s what
Boise State did several years ago, and now the folks at New Mexico
have followed suit. This is the second year for this charade, and surprise, surprise, the hometown Lobos have been invited to participate
in their own stadium each time. The irony here is that New Mexico
is actually pretty good (three of four losses were by a combined
seven points), and is actually deserving of a trip out of the state.
The Lobos were 5-1 at home this year, and should have no problem
handling the fangless Wolfpack.

Though the NCAA recognizes the Rose Bowl in 1902
as being the first actual
bowl game, UC has records
indicating the Bearcats
played in and won a bowl
game in New Orleans five
years earlier. To note, UC
beat Ohio State, 34-0, during that regular season.

We at TWIF admit to not being the sharpest knife in the
drawer, but even we wouldn’t be so stupid to invite Boise State to
this bowl. After all, the Broncos and their legion of fans just traveled to the islands a month ago when they lost the WAC title to
Hawaii. Exactly how many of those fans will want to return so soon?
We’re told about 200. No kidding. Boise State is far superior to its
Conference USA foe, but we’d like to see Skip Holtz (that’s Lou’s boy,
you know) get a win and perhaps a better job. We’re thinking upset.

Prediction: East Carolina 31-28

Prediction: BYU 31-13

Bowl Buster

UCLA’s Bruce Davis, one of the
nation’s best defensive ends, has
12 tackles for losses, including 9.5
sacks, nine pass break-ups and has
forced a fumble this season.

must know info

Master Insight
“Brigham Young couldn’t be playing any better
right now, while the Bruins have been up and
down all year with too many injuries. BYU
should win handily.” — LaVell Edwards

New Mexico is the
only Mountain West
Conference team to be
bowl eligible each of
the last seven seasons.
However, the Lobos have
lost five straight bowls,
with their last win being
in the 1961 Aviation
Bowl (Dayton, Ohio).

Hawaii’s Nice, But Not Every Month!

Once upon a time, leading a team to a bowl game was usually followed by a pay raise and contract extension for a coach. Of
course, these days when 6-6 gets you a bowl trip, that’s not exactly
cause for jubilation. Thus, UCLA’s Karl Dorrell was canned after five
seasons and he isn’t coaching in this bowl. In fairness, the Bruins
have been decimated by injuries, at one time playing a fourth
stringer at quarterback. But such is life, and life is good in Provo, as
the 17th-ranked Cougars have won nine straight games, the secondlongest streak in the nation. Make it a perfect 10.
UCLA (6-6)
S-1 @Stanford............... 45-17
S-8 BYU......................... 27-17
S-15 @Utah....................... 6-44
S-22 Washington............. 44-31
S-29 @Oregon State........ 40-14
O-6 Notre Dame............... 6-20
O-20 California................. 30-21
O-27 @Washington St....... 7-27
N-3 @Arizona................. 27-34
N-10 Arizona State........... 20-24
N-24 Oregon...................... 16-0
D-1 @USC........................ 7-24

UCLA defeated BYU,
27-17, the second game
of the season in Los
Angeles, when the Bruins
were ranked 11th in the
country. The teams will
meet again, in Provo,
early next season, marking their third meeting
within a calendar year.

East Carolina’s Chris Johnson is
the Conference USA Special Teams
Player of the Year for the second
straight season. He leads the nation
in career-all-purpose yardage and
kickoff return yardage.

must know info

No. 24 Boise State is playing in its sixth straight
bowl and eighth in nine
years. Four of those bowl
‘trips’ were to their own
stadium (Humanitarian
and MPC Computers
bowls), where they won
three times.

If you’ve never been to San Diego, go. Beautiful city, always
great weather. If you’ve never watched the Holiday Bowl, do so.
Entertaining games, always great weather. Of the 29 Holiday Bowls,
17 have had margins of a touchdown or less and the outcome of 19
was decided in the final two minutes. Texas likes this game so much
that it’s here for the fourth time this decade. Texas isn’t as good as
its 9-3 record, as sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy had a shaky
season, throwing a Big 12-worst 18 interceptions. ASU, behind
heady signal-caller Rudy Carpenter, is as good as its 10-2 record.

Thinking about attending one of the 32 bowls? Well, we have
a deal for you. For what it would cost you to scalp just one ticket
to watch Ohio State play in the national title game, you can treat
40 of your closest friends to see Purdue and Central Michigan tangle
for the second time this season, in the ever-popular winter getaway
destination of Detroit. You’re welcome. Purdue was 3-0 against MidAmerican Conference teams this year, and a repeat over the MAC
champions would give the Boilers, uh, uh, geez, we got nothin.’
Purdue doesn’t want to be here, CMU does.
PURDUE (7-5)
S-1 @Toledo.................. 52-24
S-8 Eastern Illinois.......... 52-6
S-15 Central Michigan..... 45-22
S-22 @Minnesota............ 45-31
S-29 Notre Dame............. 33-19
O-6 Ohio State................. 7-23
O-13 @Michigan.............. 21-48
O-20 Iowa.......................... 31-6
O-27 Northwestern.......... 35-17
N-3 @Penn State........... 19-26
N-10 Michigan State........ 31-48
N-17 @Indiana................. 24-27

Arizona State vs. Texas

Detroit’s Ford Field is a
short drive from the CMU
campus. The Chippewas
defeated Middle
Tennessee State last season before a Motor City
Bowl-record 54,113 fans,
thus essentially making
this a home game for
Central Michigan against
Purdue.

Arizona State’s Thomas Weber is the
2007 Lou Groza Award winner, given
to the nation’s top kicker. A redshirt freshman, he has made 22 of
23 field goals for the
Pac-10 co-champions.

must know info

First-year ASU Coach Dennis
Erickson is the Pac-10
Coach of the Year. He is the
only man to win the award
at three different schools,
and joins John Cooper
(1986) and Bruce Snyder
(1996) as other Sun Devil
coaches to earn the honor.

There’s nothing quite like a Mountain West-Conference USA
showdown, eh? Yawn. What we have is another made-for-local-teamsabomination that celebrates mediocrity while pumping a few mill into
the local economy. The Horned Frogs thought they were going to be
this year’s Boise State and go to a BCS bowl, but someone forgot to tell
Coach Gary Patterson’s defense. The future must not be very bright in
Cougar country, either, as Coach Art Briles just bolted to take the same
position at Baylor. No wonder this game is on the NFL Network. For you
18 subscribers, enjoy.

Boston College quarterback Matt
Ryan, the ACC Player of the Year,
ranked eighth nationally in total
offense with an average of 329.5
yards per game.

must know info

Master Insight
“I can’t envision Michigan State moving the
ball on Boston College’s highly-ranked defense, and BC will win because it has better
players.” — John Cooper

Boston College has won
seven consecutive bowls,
the longest current streak
in the nation. The Eagles,
who started the season
8-0 for the first time since
1942, have also posted
back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in
school history.

Maryland vs. Oregon State

must know info

Master Insight
“Even though it’s basically a home game for
Houston, the Cougars will be distracted by the
loss of their coach. Look for TCU to score a lot of
points in this one.” — Gene Stallings

Prior to a 1998 Sun Bowl
win over USC in Coach
Gary Patterson’s first year
at TCU, the Horned Frogs
had gone 41 years without a bowl victory since
defeating Jim Brown and
Syracuse, 28-27, in the
1957 Cotton Bowl.

For the second straight season Wake Forest faces the Big East
champion in a bowl. OK, so this isn’t nearly as sexy as the FedEx
Orange Bowl in which the Demon Deacons lost to Louisville last
year. But you have to give Coach Jim Grobe credit. He’s not a oneyear wonder. As for the Huskies, they’ve only been playing D-I ball
since the turn of the century. It’s amazing what they’ve accomplished in such a short time. Wake fans only have to travel 80 miles,
so they’ll have home field advantage. They’ll need it.

Prediction: Wake Forest 24-23

Prediction: Maryland 24-23

22

Bowl Buster

Houston’s Donnie Avery, a first team
Conference USA selection, led his
team in receptions (81) and receiving yards (1,336), and paced the
conference in receptions (6.75) and
yards (111.3) per game.

Not Exactly Déjà vu For Wake

In the only bowl featuring an ACC-Pac-10 match-up, both
Maryland and Oregon State come into this game as two of the hottest teams in the country no one knows anything about. Both have
knocked off top 10 teams. The Terps offense, decimated by injuries
in the regular season (only three players started all 12 games),
came together and averaged 424 yards during the final three games,
including a season-high 472 in the upset of No. 8 Boston College.
The Beavers, meanwhile, won six of their last seven with a stifling
defense, holding opponents to an average of 75 yards rushing.

Bowl Buster

Maryland junior linebacker Erin
Henderson averaged 11 tackles per
game and recovered four fumbles,
both tops in the ACC. The first team
all-conference selection also had an
interception.

must know info

Master Insight
“Maryland started slowly but has come on
strong because of an aggressive defense. The
Beavers are also on a roll, but the better defense usually wins bowls.” — Don Nehlen

Without question, Penn State and Texas A&M are looking ahead to
next season. After all, the Nittany Lions will return 21 starters, along
with both specialists. Gone will be the team’s weakest link, quarterback
Anthony Morelli. Despite his so-so play, the Lions hung tough in all but
one game, with three losses being by seven points or less. The Aggies
will ring in a new era with Coach Mike Sherman. He’s currently finishing
the NFL season as an assistant with the NFL’s Houston Texans. These
teams met in the 1999 Alamo Bowl, with the Nittany Lions rolling to a
24-0 victory. Look for an encore performance.

UCF junior running back Kevin
Smith is the nation’s leading rusher
and scorer, averaging 188 yards
(2,448 total yards) and 14 points
per game. If he gains 181 yards in
the bowl, he’ll become the all-time
single-season rusher leader, surpassing Barry Sanders.

must know info

Master Insight
“Central Florida will win because it has much
better overall team speed. Plus, Mississippi
State starts a freshman at quarterback. Not
good.” — Pat Dye

Now this is what a bowl is supposed to be about: a reward for
outstanding effort. These teams have progressed tremendously under
fourth-year coaches. UCF’s George O’Leary is the Conference USA Coach
of the Year, and MSU’s Sylvester Croom should be getting the same
award in the SEC. Fans of both schools are thrilled, as the game is a
sellout. UCF running back Kevin Smith is the real deal. He gashed Texas’
defense for 173 yards, so he’ll easily get that and more against the
Bulldogs. By the way, look for Croom, the SEC’s first black coach, to
replace some guy named Saban at Alabama in about three years or so.
CENTRAL FLORIDA (10-3)
S-1 @N.C. State............. 25-23
S-15 Texas....................... 32-35
S-22 Memphis................. 56-20
S-29 Lou.-Lafayette......... 37-19
O-6 @East Carolina........ 38-52
O-13 @Southern Florida.. 12-64
O-20 Tulsa........................ 44-23
O-28 @Southern Miss..... 34-17
N-3 Marshall.................. 47-13
N-10 @UAB...................... 45-31
N-17 @SMU..................... 49-20
N-24 UTEP....................... 36-20
D-1 Tulane...................... 44-25
C-USA Championship

Penn State vs. Texas A&M

Coach George O’Leary
guided UCF to its second
10-win season and first
C-USA title in school
history. The Knights are
playing in just their second bowl ever.

Dan Connor, Penn State’s all-time
leading tackler with 410 stops, is
the winner of the Bednarik Award
as the nation’s top defensive player.
The first team All-American also
leads the Big Ten with 136 tackles.

For two more million, Alabama could have gotten Lee Majors
as its coach, and he could have used some of his bionic powers to
produce at least a win or two more than Nick Saban did this year. If
you’re clueless, ask your parents. They’ll catch you up to speed on
TV shows from the 70’s. Shreveport welcomes two tradition-rich programs that won the minimum number of games to be bowl-eligible.
The Tide has dropped four straight, while the Buffs have been up
and down all season. We love the thought of Saban finishing his
first season with a losing record!

Air Force has won six of its last seven games. Cal dropped six
of its last seven. The Bears were national title contenders in midOctober, so you can just imagine how excited they are to be playing a service academy in Fort Worth. The game features two of the
nation’s most exciting running backs, Air Force’s Chad Hall and Cal’s
Justin Forsett. Each has rushed for more than 1,400 yards. One of
the nation’s top rushing teams, the Academy is unbeaten when Hall
gets his 100 yards. That doesn’t bode well for a Cal defense that
allows, on average, four yards a carry.

Linebacker Jordon Dizon is the first
Colorado player to be named Big 12
Defensive Player of the Year. He has
160 tackles, second-most nationally.

must know info

Master Insight
“Neither team played a tough schedule and
neither impressed me during the season.
Alabama will win because it has more
overall talent.” — Gene Stallings

Alabama is playing in the same
bowl in consecutive seasons
for the first time since making Cotton Bowl appearances
in 1981-82. The Tide is also
playing a Big 12 opponent in
a bowl for the third straight
season. They lost to Oklahoma
State last season, 34-31, and
beat Texas Tech, 13-10, in the
Cotton Bowl a year earlier.

Georgia Tech All-American senior
running back Tashard Choice led
the ACC in rushing for the second
straight season, averaging 119 yards
per game. He had a season-high
37 rushes for 204 yards against
Miami (FL).

must know info

Master Insight
“Georgia Tech won’t miss its head coach in
this one. Their defense will give the Bulldog
offense fits. Tashard Choice will have a big
game.” — Vince Dooley

Never in recent memory has one player meant more to his team
than quarterback Dennis Dixon did to Oregon. Things were just
ducky in mid-November. The Ducks were national title contenders
and Dixon was the Heisman front-runner. But then he was injured
in the first quarter at Arizona, and as fast as you can say AFLAC,
it was game over, Heisman over, season over. The Ducks have lost
twice more since. Thus, having to play in this bowl is a bit BRUTal
for Oregon, pun intended. The Bulls, meanwhile, have averaged 48
points during their current three-game win streak. The rout is on.

First-year Air Force coach
Troy Calhoun started at quarterback for the Academy in
1986 and was one of only
two freshmen to letter for
the 1985 team that finished
fifth in the polls with a 12-1
record and included wins
over Notre Dame and Texas.

One-Man Show Quacks Up

The two teams in this bowl are required to provide a corporate
sponsor, purchase a minimum number of tickets and stay at a selected hotel for a minimum stay. And they call this the Humanitarian
Bowl? Seems more like prostitution to us. Anyway, we have yet
another team in a bowl after firing its coach. Defensive coordinator
Jon Tenuta will lead the Yellow Jackets for this game only, as Navy’s
Paul Johnson is Chan Gailey’s permanent successor. Despite the
internal chaos, Tech will have no problem taking care of a Fresno
State team that simply isn’t the giant killer it used to be.
GEORGIA TECH (7-5)
S-1 @Notre Dame............ 33-3
S-8 Samford.................. 69-14
S-15 Boston College........ 10-24
S-22 @Virginia................. 23-28
S-29 Clemson.................... 13-3
O-6 @Maryland.............. 26-28
O-13 @Miami (FL)........... 17-14
O-20 Army....................... 34-10
N-1 Virginia Tech............. 3-27
N-10 @Duke..................... 41-24
N-17 North Carolina......... 27-25
N-24 Georgia.................... 17-31

must know info

South Florida vs. Oregon

Line: Georgia Tech -4

Nothing Humanitarian About This Bowl

Bowl Buster

Air Force do-everything star Chad
Hall leads his team in rushing (1,415
yards), receiving (46 catches for 488
yards) and kick returns (18 returns
for 425 yards). He ranks third in the
nation in all-purpose yards.

Master Insight
“Cal should win based on talent, but Air Force
and its wishbone-oriented offense is very tough
to prepare for. An upset wouldn’t surprise me.”
— John Ralston

This is just the second
meeting between the
teams, as the Bulldogs
beat the Yellow Jackets,
30-21, in the 2002 Silicon
Valley Classic in San Jose,
Calif. Tech has appeared in
35 bowls, Fresno State 19.

USF defensive end George Selvie
is the school’s first consensus first
team All-American. He leads the
nation with 31.5 tackles for loss,
including 14.5 sacks.

must know info

Both USF and Oregon
climbed as high as No. 2
in the BCS standings this
season before falling apart.
The Bulls got there after
starting 6-0, but then lost
three straight. The Ducks
earned the same ranking
with an 8-1 record but lost
their final three contests.

Kentucky is a slight favorite to beat Florida State. Read that
again. Now, someone please offer a valid justification for Seminole
Coach Bobby Bowden not retiring. Yes, we know this isn’t your father’s
Wildcats (we haven’t forgotten they beat LSU), but give us a break.
They’ve lost five games and aren’t even ranked. Come to think of
it, FSU has the same resume. The difference is that UK has Andre
Woodson at quarterback, while FSU has Drew Weatherford, who is only
slightly more overrated than Michigan’s Chad Henne. Oops, sorry. We’ll
save the Michigan bashing for the Capital One Bowl preview.

If you’re not rooting for Indiana, you’re heartless. On a mission
to “Play 13” for Coach Terry Hoeppner, who passed away before the
season, the Hoosiers are the feel-good story of the season. They’re
going to a bowl for the first time in 14 years. Maybe there should be
a movie called Hoosiers made; the title might sell. IU’s quarterback/
receiver combination of Kellen Lewis and James Hardy should be too
much for a Cowboy defense that gave up more than 35 points in five
of their six losses. By the way, don’t feel bad if OSU loses. Cowboy
Coach Mike Gundy can take it. He’s a man. He’s 40.

Oklahoma State wide receiver
Adarius Bowman is every bit as talented as his IU counterpart, James
Hardy. Despite missing three games
with an injury, Brown still caught 61
passes for 932 yards and seven TDs.

must know info

Master Insight
“OSU throws the ball well and runs well behind
Dantrell Savage. But IU has a game-changer in
Kellen Lewis. Indiana will win as long as they
contain Savage.” — Bill Mallory

Indiana, historically a
Big Ten doormat, surprisingly holds a
23-19-6 record (.542)
against teams from the
Big 12 Conference. The
Hoosiers are making
their ninth bowl appearance overall.

Tennessee will win this game, oh, let’s say something like 87-3,
so go ahead and give the 3.5 points on this one. Good for you;
you recognize facetiousness when you read it. Truly, though, this is
the first of what is supposed to be three easy wins for the mighty
SEC over the awful Big Ten in bowls. Can the Badgers, behind the
one-two punch of running back P.J. Hill and first team All-American
tight end Travis Beckum, compete with the SEC East Division
champs? Yes, and they’ll do so with a grind-it-out attack.

It’s the Tigers vs. Tigers in this made-for-selling-tickets bowl
held in what used to be known as Hotlanta. Auburn will probably go
by the name War Eagles in this one to have its own identity. It’s the
only school we know that has two completely unrelated but interchangeable mascots. But we digress. Both teams rank in the top 10
in scoring defense and total defense, but Clemson has more offensive gusto. The X-factor is Tiger Coach Tommy Bowden, as he often
finds a way to screw up in close games. Conversely, Auburn’s been
schizo all season. We’re doing the coin flip thing again.
CLEMSON (9-3)
S-3 Florida State............ 24-18
S-8 Lou.-Monroe........... 49-26
S-15 Furman.................... 38-10
S-22 @N.C. State............. 42-20
S-29 @Georgia Tech.......... 3-13
O-6 Virginia Tech........... 23-41
O-20 Central Michigan..... 70-14
O-27 @Maryland.............. 30-17
N-3 @Duke..................... 47-10
N-10 Wake Forest............ 44-10
N-17 Boston College........ 17-20
N-24 @South Carolina..... 23-21

Wisconsin vs. Tennessee

With Clemson favored
by just two points,
it’s worth noting that
the Tigers are 12-15
in games decided by
seven points or less
since 2001 under Coach
Tommy Bowden, while
Auburn is 15-7.

Missouri has been unbeatable against all teams not named
Oklahoma. A second loss to the Sooners cost the Tigers a trip to the
Big Easy, and now they find themselves in the Big Sleazy. Ever been
to the Cotton Bowl, folks? It’s a dump. That’s why this bowl is no
longer one of the biggies. But we have to admit this is an attractive match-up, featuring a pair of Heisman Trophy finalists, Arkansas
running back Darren McFadden and Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel.
The Hogs will pound it with McFadden, while the Tigers will spread
it with Daniel. This is easily the best non-BCS game.

Lloyd Carr’s final game as Michigan coach will be against the last
team he beat in a bowl. The Wolves have lost four straight bowls since
beating the Gators in the 2003 Outback game. Make it five. This has
debacle written all over it. Michigan hasn’t contained a mobile quarterback all season, and now it has to face the nation’s best in Heisman
Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Even if Tebow is contained, Carr will never
ultimately outwit Gator Coach Urban Meyer. Alas, has anyone heard
from Michigan running back Michael Hart lately? We just wanted to get
his prediction on this one! (Ha, we crack ourselves up sometimes!)

Prediction: Arkansas 38-35

26

The SEC runner-up
Volunteers lost three regular season games by 14, 39
and 24 points, respectively,
to teams that have a combined 15 losses. Conversely,
three Vol wins were by a
combined six points, including two in overtime.

Missouri quarterback
Chase Daniel is returning to Dallas to play in
front of his hometown
fans. As a senior at
perennial national power
Southlake Carroll High,
Daniel led the Dragons
to a state title in 2004.

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow
became the first quarterback in
college football history to run (22)
and pass (29) for 20 TDs in a season. He is also the first sophomore
to win the Heisman.

must know info

Though Michigan’s Lloyd
Carr has lost his last four
bowls, it’s worth noting
that legendary Wolverine
boss Bo Schembechler lost
his first seven bowls (his
team averaged only 10
points per defeat), and 10
of his first 12.

Virginia, victors nine times this season, set an NCAA record by
winning five games by one or two points, and in its last outing got
pounded by rival Virginia Tech. Texas Tech, which averages 42 points
and 440 passing yards per game, has won eight times, and most
recently took Big 12 champion Oklahoma to the woodshed. See where
we’re going here? Even though Virginia has the nation’s best defensive end in Chris Long, there’s really no stopping Tech quarterback
Graham Harrell. The Red Raider defense isn’t very good, but neither is
Virginia’s offense. We ran the math: It adds up to blowout city.

Ya gotta hand it to Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano. Even though
his name pops up at the top of the list of every plum job that opens
– Miami (FL) and Michigan, to name a pair – he appears firmly
committed to turning the Scarlet Knights into a perennial national
power. We love what he accomplished last year, but the team dipped
quite a bit this season with the same talent. This game features
Rutgers’ All-American running back Ray Rice and Ball State quarterback Nate Davis, the nation’s best player you’ve likely never seen or
heard of. This isn’t as big an upset as many will claim it to be.

A mere red-shirt freshman,
Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree is the
Paul Warfield Award winner, given
to the nation’s top receiver. He
leads the nation in receiving yards
(1,861), receptions (125) and
TD catches (21).

must know info

Master Insight
“Virginia will have to be at its best defensively
because they can’t afford to get into a shootout. The Cavaliers will find a way to keep it
close but Tech will prevail.” — George Welsh

Texas Tech capped the biggest comeback in bowl history with a 44-41 overtime
win over Minnesota at the
Insight Bowl last season.
Tech trailed 38-7 early
in the second half before
scoring 35 straight points.

The best thing about this bowl for the participating teams is
that they get nearly two extra weeks of practice, compared to the
other teams playing in teeny tiny bowls. The best thing about this
bowl for fans is that it gives us an alternative to “Dancing With The
Stars” on the eve of the BCS National Championship. Hey, football
is football. We’ll tune in. Actually, there’s some legit entertainment
value here, as the opposing quarterbacks have combined for nearly
8,000 passing yards and 65 TDs. If you like shootouts. . .

U.S. Army Ohio High School Players of the Year
Division II Player of the Year

Division I Player of the Year

Division III Player of the Year

Bart Tanski
Mentor High School

Taylor Housewright
Ashland High School

Isaiah Pead
Eastmoor Academy

2007 Record: 11-3; lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier,
27-0, in the Division I state championship.
2007 Stats: 161 of 273 passing for 2,385 yards
and 20 touchdowns and rushed for eight TDs
Photo by Jerry Cook
in nine regular season games.
Noteworthy: 2007 Mr. Ohio Football Award (first ever by a player
from Mentor); three-year varsity starter at quarterback; Associated
Press Division I Co-Offensive Player of the Year; AP Division I
First Team All-Ohio.

2007 Record: 12-2; loss to Cincinnati Anderson,
35-20, in the state semifinals.
2007 Stats: 182 of 265 passing for 2,568 yards
and 31 touchdowns and rushed for 656 yards and
seven touchdowns in 10 regular season games. Ashland High School
Noteworthy: Associated Press Division II Offensive Player of the
Year; AP Division II First Team All-Ohio; Ohio Cardinal Conference
Offensive Player of the Year; Mansfield News Journal Offensive
Player of the Year.

2007 Record: 9-1.
2007 Stats: Rushed for 2,204 yard and 39 touchdowns, recorded 35 tackles and intercepted six
passes in 10 regular season games.
Eastmoor Academy
Noteworthy: Associated Press Division III
Co-Offensive Player of the Year; AP Division III First Team AllOhio; First Team All-Columbus City League; football scholarship
offers from West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

Division IV Player of the Year

Division V Player of the Year

Division VI Player of the Year

Mentor, Ohio
Quarterback; 6-2, 190; Senior

Dan McCarthy
Cardinal Mooney High School

Ashland, Ohio
Quarterback; 6-3, 200; Senior

Youngstown, Ohio
QB/S; 6-2, 190; Senior
2007 Record: 14-1; lost to Coldwater, 28-27, in
the Division IV state championship.
2007 Stats: Passed for 414 yards and six touchdowns rushed for 1,113 yards and 13 TDs in 10
regular season games.
Roncone Studio
Noteworthy: Associated Press Division IV
Offensive Player of the Year; AP Division IV First Team All-Ohio;
finalist for the Mr. Ohio Football award; verbally committed to
Notre Dame.

30

Lamar McQueen
Ursuline High School

Youngstown, Ohio
Quarterback; 5-9, 165; Senior
2007 Record: 12-3; lost to Maria Stein Marion
Local, 20-14, in the Division V state championship.
2007 Stats: Passed for 1,000 yards and nine
touchdowns and rushed for 722 yards and six
Ursuline High School
TDs in 10 regular season games.
Noteworthy: Associated Press Division V Co-Offensive Player of the
Year; AP Division V First Team All-Ohio; Division V All-Northeast
Inland District Offensive Player of the Year; Division V AllNortheast Inland District First Team Offense.

Columbus, Ohio
RB/CB; 5-11, 190; Senior

Mark Nichols
Newark Catholic High School

Newark, Ohio
Running Back; 5-11, 190; Senior
2007 Record: 13-2; defeated Bascom HopewellLoudon, 28-14, in the Division VI state championship.
2007 Stats: Rushed for 2,906 yards and 41
touchdowns in 10 regular season games and
Rivals.com
five playoff games.
Noteworthy: Associated Press Division VI Co-Offensive Player of
the Year; AP Division VI First Team All-Ohio; Newark Advocate
Offensive Player of the Year; Central District Offensive Player of
the Year.